Progressives and the Overton Window

The Overton Window was originally postulated by the former Vice-President of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, Joseph Overton (1960-2003). Most commonly used to demonstrate political spectra, it can be geared to accommodate ANY desired methodology. Basically, it is used to depict what any given society deems acceptable at any given time. Over time, the position of the window over that defined spectrum shifts based on popular plurality.

Progressives have long understood that on any given issue, they are a clear minority. However, by supporting multiple minority far-left positions, they have shifted the window of public acceptability, as well as government intervention, into areas that would make our Founding Fathers and our grandparents roll over in their graves.

A majority of the population, both Liberal and Conservative alike, support the legal definition of marriage as the lifelong union of a man and a woman. Progressives, however want to go much further, into the realms of polygamy, bestiality and worse. By merely suggesting this major shift to the left of the Overton Window as it applies to human relationships, as a society we have accepted a lesser leftward shift into forced acceptance of homosexuality.

Discrimination laws used to protect those in a minority class that had no choice in being members of that minority class. Race, gender, ethnicity, physical handicaps and even to a degree, religion, are classes that deserve government protection in society and the workplace. But now we have entered the realm of government intervention into personal choice by establishing perversion by choice as a protected minority class.

Emboldened by this success of the minority over the majority, the Progressive agenda has now managed to score recent additional victories. Government takeovers of the banking, automotive and insurance industries against the wishes of the majority of Americans have succeeded, and now our government is taking over the health care industry. The energy industry is next, especially with the furor that has been created over the Deepwater Horizon oil-rig tragedy in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fundamental transformation of the greatest society in history..."Yes, We Can!" But should we?